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'™|.°NG^ss| HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES {°No!T859^ 



JACOB EDWIN MEEKER 

(Late a Congressman from Missouri) 

MEMORIAL ADDRESSES 

DELIVERED IN THE 

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 

UNITED STATES 

SIXTY-FIFTH CONGRESS 
THIRD SESSION 



Proceedings in tlie House 
February 2, 1919 



Proceedings in the Senate 
October 17, 1918 



PREPARED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF 
THE JOINT COMMITTEE ON PRINTING 




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WASHINGTON 

1920 







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TABLE OF CONTENTS 



Page. 

Proceedings in the House ^ 5 

Prayer by Rev. Henry N. Couden, D. D 6, 8 

Memorial addresses by — 

Mr. Champ Clark, of Missouri 11 

Mr. Leonidas C. Dyer, of Missouri 12 

Mr. Frederick Essen, of Missouri 16 

Mr. Fred S. Purnell, of Indiana 19 

Mr. Thomas L. Rubey, of Missouri 21 

Mr. William L. Igoe, of Missouri 23 

Mr. Harold Knutson, of Minnesota 25 

Mr. Perl D. Decker, of Missouri 27 

. Mr. John L. Burnett, of Alabama 29 

Mr. William W. Rucker, of Missouri 32 

Proceedings in the Senate 35 



[3] 



DEATH OF HON. JACOB EDWIN MEEKER 



Proceedings in the House of Representatives 

Wednesday, October 16, 1918. 

Mr. Igoe. Mr. Speaker, it is with great regret that I rise 
to announce the death of our colleague, Hon. Jacob Edwin 
Meeker, of Missouri, who died early this morning at St. 
Louis. At some future time I shall ask the House to set 
aside a day upon which his colleagues may address the 
House upon his life and character. I now offer the fol- 
lowing resolution. 

The Speaker. The Clerk will report it. 

The Clerk read as follows : 

House resolution 445 

Resolved. That the House has heard with profound sorrow of 
the death of Hon. Jacob Edwin Meeker, a Representative from the 
State of Missouri. 

Resolved, That a committee of 20 Members of the House, with 
such Members of the Senate as may be joined, be appointed to 
attend the funeral. 

Resolved, That the Sergeant at Arms of the House be authorized 
and directed to take such steps as may be necessary for carrying 
out the provisions of these resolutions, and that the necessary 
expenses in connection therewith be paid out of the contingent 
fund of the House. 

The resolution was agreed to; and the Speaker an- 
nounced as the committee on the part of the House Mr, 



[5] 



Memorial Addresses: Representative Meeker 

Rucker, Mr. Shackleford, Mr. Russell, Mr. Borland, Mr. 
Booher, Mr. Alexander, Mr. Hamlin, Mr. Dickinson, Mr. 
Rubey, Mr. Hensley, Mr. Igoe, Mr. Decker, Mr. Romjue, 
Mr. Clark of Missouri, Mr. Dyer, Mr. Rodenberg, Mr. Knut- 
son, Mr. Walsh, Mr. Purnell, and Mr. Miller of Washing- 
ton. 

Mr. Igoe. Mr. Speaker, I offer the following resolution. 

The Speaker. The Clerk will report it. 

The Clerk read as follows : 

Resolved, That as a further mark of respect this House do now 
adjourn. 

The moUon was agreed to; accordingly (at 4 o'clock 
and 35 minutes p. m.) the House adjourned until to-mor- 
row, Thursday, October 17, 1918, at 12 o'clock noon. 



Thursday, October 17, 1918. 
The Chaplain, Rev. Henry N. Couden, D. D., offered the 
following prayer: 

Eternal God, whom we have been taught to worship as 
Father, we bless Thee for the rich and varied endowments 
of mind and soul which constitute us progressive beings, 
lifting us to clearer visions of Thee and the laws which 
environ us and hast made character the supreme test. 

Make us strong in our convictions, pure in our desires, 
and thus lead us onward and upward to a closer relation- 
ship with Thee. 

Again, O God, our Heavenly Father, are we reminded 
of the brief tenure of this life by the sudden and 
unexpected death of a Member of this legislative body. 
Strengthen our faith and that of his friends and admirers, 
especially those to whom he was nearest and dearest, 
in the larger life to which he has been called and to 



[6] 



Proceedings in the House 



which we are all rapidly tending, and fit us for the inev- 
itable change. 

It lies around us like a cloud, 

A world we do not see; 
Yet the sweet closing of an eye 

May bring us there to be. 

Sweet hearts around us throb and beat, 

Sweet helping hands are stirred. 
And palpitates the veil between 
With breathings almost heard. 
Amen. 

Friday, October 18, WIS. 
A message from the Senate, by Mr. Waldorf, its enroll- 
ing clerk, announced that the Senate had passed the 
following resolutions: 

Resolved, That the Senate has heard with profound sorrow the 
announcement of the death of Hon. Jacob Edwin Meeker, late a 
Representative from the State of Missouri. 

Resolved, That a committee of 10 Senators be appointed by the 
Vice President, to join the committee appointed on the part of the 
House of Representatives, to attend the funeral of the deceased. 

Resolved, That the Secretary communicate a copy of these reso- 
lutions to the House of Representatives. 

Resolved, That as a further mark of respect to the memory of 
the deceased the Senate do now adjourn. 

And that under the second resolution the Presiding 
Officer had appointed as the committee on the part of 
the Senate Mr. Reed, Mr. Wilfley, Mr. Watson, Mr. Suth- 
erland, Mr. New, Mr. Kenyon, Mr. Harding, Mr. Beckham, 
Mr. Kirby, and Mr. Curtis. 

Friday, December 27, 1918. 
Mr. RucKER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that 
Sunday, February 2, 1919, be set aside for memorial 



[7] 



Memorial Addresses: Representative Meeker 

addresses on the life, character, and public services of 
the late Senator William Joel Stone, of Missouri, and the 
late Representative Jacob Edwin Meeker, of Missouri. 

The Speaker. The gentleman from Missouri asks unan- 
imous consent that Sunday, February 2, 1919, be set aside 
for memoralizing the late Senator Stone and the late 
Representative Meeker, both from the State of Missouri. 
Is there objection? 

There was no objection. 

Sunday, February 2, 1919. 
The House met at 12 o'clock noon. 
The Chaplain, Rev. Henry N. Couden, D. D., offered 
the following prayer : 

Eternal God, Author of the Universe, Father of all souls, 
in the midst of the impenetrable mysteries which sur- 
round us, we come with profound faith, eternal hope, 
that in Thy wisdom, power, and goodness we shall be 
exalted, ennobled, glorified, in Thine own good time. 

Let Thy richest blessings descend upon us now as we 
gather here to give expression to the worth of the men 
who were dignified by the people and made Members of 
the Congress of the United States. What they did to 
glorify a Nation of freemen will live and be a blessing to 
future generations. 

Let Thy loving arms be about their dear ones to com- 
fort and sustain them in this hour of trial. Give them a 
vision of the larger life and help them to look forward 
to a reunion with their dear ones in a realm where 
mysteries shall be dissolved and the brightest hopes 
realized in the dispensation of Thy providence. Through 
Him who died, that we might live. Amen. 

The Speaker. The Clerk will read the Journal. 



[8] 



Proceedings in the House 



Mr. RucKER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that 
the reading of the Journal may be dispensed with until 
to-morrow. 

The Speaker. The gentleman from Missouri asks unani- 
mous consent that the reading of the Journal be dispensed 
with until to-morrow. Is there objection? [After a 
pause.] The Chair hears none. The Clerk will report 
the special order for to-day. 

The Clerk read as follows : 

Ordered, That Sunday, February 2, 1919, be set apart for ad- 
dresses upon the life, character, and public services of Hon. Wil- 
liam J. Stone, late a Senator from the State of Missouri, and the 
Hon. Jacob E. Meeker, late a Member of this House from the State 
of Missouri. 

Mr. Rucker. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent for 
the present consideration of the resolutions which 1 send 
to the Clerk's desk. 

The Speaker. The Clerk will report the resolutions. 

The Clerk read as follows : 

Resolved, That the business of the House be now suspended, 
that opportunity may be given for tributes to the memory of Hon. 
William J. Stone, late a Senator of the United States from the 
State of Missouri, and the Hon. Jacob E. Meeker, late a Member of 
this House from the State of Missouri. 

Resolved, That as a particular mark of respect to the memory of 
the deceased, and in recognition of their distinguished public 
careers, the House, at the conclusion of the exercises of this day, 
shall stand adjourned. 

Resolved, That the Clerk communicate these resolutions to the 
Senate. 

Resolved, That the Clerk send a copy of these resolutions to the 
families of the deceased. 

The resolutions were unanimously agreed to. 
Mr. Igoe took the chair. 



[9] 



MEMORIAL ADDRESSES 



Address of Mr. Clark, of Missouri 

Mr. Speaker : It is rare that any State memorializes two 
congressional sons at one time. Such, however, is Mis- 
souri's sad case this day. I have spoken somewhat elabo- 
rately touching the life and character of Senator Stone. 
Now I pay a brief tribute to our fellow Representative, 
Dr. Jacob E. Meeker. Stone was a veteran statesman, of 
long and conspicuous service, verging close on the psalm- 
ist's allotment of threescore and ten, wliile Dr. Meeker 
was a comparatively new Member, in the last half of his 
second term in the House. The chances are that had he 
lived he would have had a long and conspicuous career. 
That district kept his immediate predecessor in the House, 
Dr. Richard Bartholdt, here for nearly a quarter of a cen- 
tury, and probably would have done equally well by Dr. 
Meeker, as he appeared to have a strong hold on the con- 
fidence and aflfection of his constituents. Senator Stone 
had been for years in delicate health, while Dr. Meeker 
was an exceedingly robust man in the very prime of life. 
He was a strong, energetic, capable, courageous man, of 
splendid mentality and fine scholarship. He was a force- 
ful speaker, his first efforts in that regard being in the 
pulpit. He was a ready debater, and was rapidly fighting 
his way into the front rank. I have no sort of doubt that 
had his life been spared and had his service here been 
extended he would have attained eminence in this body. 
His death was a surprise to all who knew him, as he had 
not attained his meridian and seemed destined for length 
of days. 

[II] 



Address of Mr. Dyer, of Missouri 

Mr. Speaker: As has been said by my colleague, we 
meet to-day not only to pay tribute to the life and public 
service of our deceased Senator but we meet also under 
an order of this House to pay tribute to one of our col- 
leagues from Missouri in this House, the late Jacob E. 
Meeker. 

Jacob E. Meeker was born on a farm in Fountain 
County, Ind., October 7, 1878. He was the second son 
of T. M. and Julia McKnight Meeker. He graduated from 
the public schools in 1894 and entered the academy at 
the Union Christian College at Merom, Ind., the same 
year. After completing the preparatory course in the 
academy he entered the college, graduating from that 
institution in 1900. He was married on the day of his 
graduation, and was the father of four children. 

He entered Oberlin Theological Seminary in 1900 and 
did one year's work. He returned to the farm in Indiana 
in 1901, and for the next year farmed and preached in 
country churches. In 1902 he returned to Oberlin and 
graduated from the Oberlin Theological Seminary with 
the class of 1904. In western Indiana he was known as 
the boy preacher, having had a regular pastorate before 
he was of age. 

Following his graduation, lie located at Eldon, Mo., 
under the appointment of the Congregational Home Mis- 
sionary Society. He remained at Eldon for two years, 
organizing Sunday schools and developing Congrega- 
tional Church work in that section. In 1906 he came to 
St. Louis to take charge of the Compton Hill Congrega- 
tional Church. He remained there as pastor until 1912, 



[12] 



Address of Mr. Dyer, of Missouri 



when he resigned to complete his law studies. He was 
admitted to the bar January 6, 1914. He had been active 
in politics since boyhood, his father having been one of 
the leading Republicans of Indiana for many years. In 
1914 he became a candidate for Congress and was elected 
to the Sixty-fourth and reelected to the Sixty-fifth, win- 
ning in the second contest by a majority of more than 
20,000. He was nominated by a large majority in the 
August primaries to the Sixty-sixth Congress, but passed 
away before the election. 

During all the years of his ministry he was a live 
participant in the political and sociological affairs of his 
community. Instead of holding the old-fashioned " re- 
vival " meetings, he conducted in his church and else- 
where series of popular Bible studies. He maintained 
his church study in a down-town office building and was 
daily found in the hospitals, the juvenile and police 
courts, and the eleemosynary institutions. He established 
a national reputation for himself because of two tilings 
he has done. He has fought prohibition with all of his 
might and he has opposed the entrance of the church 
into politics. While in the pulpit he steadfastly refused 
to convert his church into a political club or to air his par- 
tisan views on political questions, and in the field of poli- 
tics he has consistently refused to be swayed by religious 
or sect prejudice. 

Mr. Meeker, like Senator Stone, whom I alluded to a 
moment ago, was a man of forceful ideas, and, by reason 
of the strong position that he took upon public questions, 
had his intense enemies in public life. It was my privi- 
lege to first know Jacob E. Meeker about 11 years ago or 
so, when he came to make his home in the city of St. 
Louis. He located in that section of the city where I had 
my home. He was a neighbor of mine, and he came there 
to take charge of a church located in my neighborhood. 



[13] 



Memorial Addresses: Representative Meeker 

That was in about the year 1906. He became the pastor 
of a church there, and not only the members of the con- 
gregation of that church but the citizens generally of 
that neighborhood — I was one of them, not being one of 
them who worshiped with that congregation — had their 
attention directed to the fact that they had in that church 
a young man of energy and a young man of intellect. 

Many of us from time to time went to that church to 
hear tliis new preacher. We all liked him. He began 
immediately to take an interest in affairs in the neigh- 
borhood. He helped to organize in his church a civic 
organization of that neighborhood of which I was a mem- 
ber. It had for its purpose and its object the betterment 
of conditions of the people generally in that section of 
the city. 

He was forceful, keen of intellect, a splendid man, and 
a splendid pastor of his church. His church grew in influ- 
ence, grew in power, and grew in good. He was a man 
who, as I have said, would not, because of his peculiar 
make-up and energy, allow liimself to be confined wholly 
in the work to which he was specially called. He felt that 
he should get out and take an interest in things that 
affected the people generally, and from time to time he 
became active in those matters, and out of his active 
interest in those matters grew his entrance into politics. 
People felt and believed that he could render especially 
good service in public office. They began to talk of him 
for public office while he was pastor of the church. 

Mr. Meeker resigned the pastorate of his church and 
returned to his home in Indiana whence he had come. 
When he went to Indiana it was my belief and under- 
standing that he had gone there to make that his home. 

I do not believe that he had any idea or thought of 
running for public office; but a situation grew up in the 
city of St. Louis, in the tenth congressional district, where 



[14] 



Address of Mr. Dyer, of Missouri 



the gentleman who had been representing that district 
here for so long, Hon. Richard Bartholdt, had issued a 
statement in which he said he would not be a candidate 
for renomination and reelection. As it is in all districts 
when the older Member retires, several new men aspired 
to this ofTice, and factions of the party in control often 
have candidates. One of the factions of the party in 
this district urgently sent for and wrote letters to Mr. 
Meeker urging him to come back and become a candidate 
for Congress in this district. Mr. Meeker returned and 
became a candidate, was nominated and elected, was 
again renominated and elected, was again renominated, 
and, had not death called him, would have been again 
reelected by the usual majority in that district of some 
24,000 or 25,000. We mourn his going because he had 
given evidence of his efficiency as a public servant; he 
had given evidence of his ability to represent the people 
in this House. He was a young man, only some 40 years 
of age, when death claimed him. A great opportunity 
lay before him, and I, as his friend for many years and 
his acquaintance and well-wisher since he came to our 
city, in 1906, sincerely regret his going. The people of 
St. Louis, a large part of whom he represented here, 
mourn his loss. He was a good and efficient public serv- 
ant, and we will miss him sadly. 



[15] 



Address of Mr. Essen, of Missouri 

Mr. Speaker: On an occasion like this, when we come 
to speak a tribute to the memory of a distinguished friend 
such as the one in whose honor we meet to-day, words are 
too weak to give adequate meaning to our feelings of ap- 
preciation. The suddenness in which the earthly life of 
our friend was ended, the large place he had filled in the 
councils of the Nation, the great opportunity in public life 
afforded to one of his ability, all combined, make his 
death a distinct national loss. The people of the tenth 
congressional district, whom he loved to honor and to 
whose best interests he was so greatly devoted, showed 
this appreciation of his ability and public service by the 
splendid vote of confidence given him whenever they had 
a chance to show it. The people of the sovereign State of 
Missouri found in Mm a courage and capacity well cal- 
culated at times like these to defend the rights of her 
people, boldly and without apologj', regardless of the 
taunts of foes or the applause of friends. 

The Nation saw in him one of the defenders of her 
honor whose voice was heard in unmistakable tones, as 
upon the floor of the Chamber of the House of Representa- 
tives he hurled defiance at German autocracy, the arch- 
enemy of mankind, and called upon the Nation to resent 
the insults to her honor and fight for the preservation of 
her life. 

Mr. Meeker was one of the men who stood out boldly, 
demanding the defense of our national honor at all times. 
It will be remembered how, when Mexican outlaws were 
crossing our borders and burning our property and mur- 
dering our citizens, he demanded a decisive policy. In 
clarion tones he denounced these insults to our sover- 
eignty and called upon the Congress to authorize the 
President to employ the necessary force to compel a 

[16] 



Address of Mr. Essen, of Missouri 



recognilion of our honor. Those of his colleagues who 
sat with him in this Chamher well remember his de- 
nunciations of what appeared to be a noncommittal policy 
which seemed spineless at times. His powerful attacks 
against allowing Mexico to purchase munitions which 
were afterwards employed against our own people will 
not be forgotten. 

When Germany began the submarine warfare and 
attacked, by torpedo, the Cashing, the Gulflight, and 
finally committed the open murder in the sinking of the 
Lusitania, Mr. Meeker was one of the Members of Con- 
gress who openly declared it to be our duty to imme- 
diately put the Nation in order to defend itself. He per- 
sisted in the assertion that a decisive policy on the part 
of our Government would bring Germany to her senses. 
He deplored the seeming effort on the part of many 
which tended to convince Germany that we could not 
be made to fight. On the other hand, he persisted in his 
belief and assertion that decisive action would either pre- 
vent war at all, or, in case it did not, the war must have 
been much shorter and much less destructive of life and 
property. 

When at last the war resolution was before the Con- 
gress his was the voice that rang out in clarion notes that 
sounded the sense of national duty. After the declaration 
of war and the plan for building an army was before 
the country he was one of the first to espouse the selective 
draft as the rational method in a democratic country. 

Although a strict party man and partisan in a pro- 
nounced sense, he never allowed a partisan spirit to inter- 
fere with his duty to the country. Differing widely from 
the President and the leaders of the majority on party 
policies, yet in the matters of war he was among the 
ranks of Republicans who pushed to the very front all 
war measures designed to speed up the war program. 



11G041°— 20 2 [17] 



Memorial Addresses: Representative Meeker 

His criticism was constructive and justified by his readi- 
ness to both suggest remedies and accept them when 
suggested by others. 

In this great war Congress, whose duties and responsi- 
bilities were greater than any Congress since the days of 
the great Civil "War, he occupied a liigh rank. So far as 
I know he stood for every constructive measure proposed. 

Mr. Meeker did not agree with the majority of the 
Members upon some nonpartisan domestic questions. 
Whatever disagreements were experienced, he always 
displayed a fearlessness in his attack and in his advocacy. 
He was found voting with the majority of the Members 
on many questions, but he was never afraid to be counted 
with the minority vote. At times when the public seemed 
swept off its feet with waves of enthusiasm, when it would 
be easy to go with the majority, he has stood like adamant 
for what he believed to be the correct position, though 
it provoked opposition and at times derision from those 
opposed to liim. 

He never believed that popularity of an issue was of 
itself a conclusive argument of its wisdom. 

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Meeker, my predecessor in this body, 
had what might be called a stormy life. He had his 
stanch friends and some enemies. But who has not both? 
He who has no friends is helpless and he who has no 
enemies is hopeless. 

To-day we pause to note his contribution to the service 
of his country. It is but little we can here do, and what 
we say may soon be forgotten; but I wish to pay this slight 
tribute to his memory in the name of the people of the 
tenth Missouri congressional district, which he so notably 
represented and which I now have the honor to represent. 

Could I in my stay here be as effective on the part of 
my legislative duty as he endeavored to be, I would feel 
quite content. 

[18] 



Address of Mr. Purnell, of Indiana 

Mr. Speaker : Death is a strange and mysterious thing. 
I have often wondered why the great unseen power that 
is responsible for life itself could not stay the terrible 
sting of death and spare the heartaches that follow in 
its wake. It is rarely a welcome guest. I have seen it pass, 
unnoticing, the house of an afflicted soul tossing upon a 
bed of pain praying for the relief that only death can 
bring. I have seen it reach its long tentacled fingers into 
a newly made home and take from the breast of a loving 
mother the joy and hope of her life. I have seen it rob 
the home of him to whom innocent and helpless children 
have looked for food, leaving them destitute and in want. 
I have seen it take the mother whose unselfish devotion 
and watchful care would have been the guiding star 
through life of a son and turn him into the street to fight 
an unequal battle with life, only to lose in the end because 
of her loss. I have seen it take from the seats of the 
mighty those who could have shaped the destiny of a 
nation. I have seen the old, the helpless, the neglected, 
the life-wearj' pray for it and it would not come. 

The death of our friend and colleague affords a most 
striking example of the uncertainty' of life. If any one 
of us had scanned the roster of this House venturing to 
name he who would be the next to answer the final sum- 
mons, I dare say the name of Jacob E. Meeker, strong in 
vigorous manhood and standing at the very threshold 
of life, would have entered none of our minds. 

To me his death was a great personal loss. "When I 
came to Congress two years ago as a Member of this body 
he neglected his own duties in an endeavor to familiarize 
me with the innumerable details of the routine which 

[19] 



Memorial Addresses: Representative Meeker 

every new Member must necessarily learn. In doing this, 
Jacob E. Meeker was prompted in no small degree by the 
recollection of our early boyhood associations, having 
grown up in the same county with me and within a few 
miles of each other. His home was my home, his country 
my countrj', his people my people, and though he went 
away when he grew to manhood he always regarded 
Fountain County, Ind., as his home. The old farm upon 
which he was reared, and the father and mother whose 
pride he was, were always there to welcome him. It 
was very fitting, and I am quite sure in keeping with his 
wishes, that he was laid to rest in the quiet country 
churchyard that lies within sight of his boyhood home. 

Jacob Meeker came from one of the old and honored 
families of our county. His father was numbered among 
the most influential and highly respected citizens of our 
Commonwealth. His dear, old mother, who lives to 
mourn liis loss, is all that the word " mother " implies. 
Whatever success he attained was due in a large meas- 
ure to her strong impress upon him. It was not alone 
that we grew up together and came from the same county 
that he put himself out for me. It was characteristic of 
the man. No bigger-hearted man ever sat in this Cham- 
ber than Jacob Meeker. He was true to his friends and 
loyal to every trust. He was firm in his convictions, and 
dared to fight for that in which he believed, even though 
it entailed a bitter encounter with his dearest friend. It 
is but fair to his memorj' to say, however, that the bitter- 
ness ended witli the debate. 

I did not always agree with him, but I never failed to 
admire his courage and ability. This House has lost a 
valuable Member, his constituents one whose constant de- 
sire was to serve them, and the country a servant who was 
always jealous of its honor. 



[20] 



Address of Mr. Rubey, of Missouri 

Mr. Speaker: The House of Representatives meets to- 
day to pay respect not only to the memory of a Missouri 
Senator but to a Member of the House of Representatives 
as well — Hon. Jacob E. Meeker, of the tenth district of 
Missouri. That there is nothing more uncertain than life 
nor more certain than death is illustrated in the case of 
Dr. Meeker. I saw him just a few days before his death, 
the very picture of health — hale, hearty, and robust — and 
yet in just a little wliile there came flashing over the wires 
the sad news of his death. I did not know him well; I 
•had never met him until he came to take his seat in this 
body in December, 1915. He very soon impressed me as 
a man not only of marked ability but a man of very 
decided views — one who had opinions of his own and was 
not afraid to express them. He was a fluent and forceful 
speaker and almost at once took rank as one of the best 
debaters in the House. 

A native of Indiana, liis body was taken back there for 
burial and was laid to rest in the country churchyard in 
the neighborhood where he was born and where he had 
spent the greater part of his life. 

Dr. Meeker died in St. Louis and the congressional com- 
mittee met the funeral party at Attica, Ind. The funeral 
ceremonies took place some 12 or 15 miles from there, 
in a beautiful country church near the old Meeker home- 
stead. On the way out we passed through the most won- 
derful farming countrj' I have ever seen. Detouring a 
few miles from the direct road, we were taken by the 
farm and had pointed out to us the large, spacious farm- 
house where Dr. Meeker was born. It was an ideal coun- 

[21] 



Memorial Addresses: Representative Meeker 

try home, situated in the verj' center of a tract of some 
two or three thousand acres of the very hest land that 
can be found in the State of Indiana. I was impressed 
with the prosperity which was in evidence on every 
hand — splendid, well-kept homes, fine barns, excellent 
rock roads — all going to show that the jjeople were thrifty 
and well-to-do. 

The people came in great numbers to pay their respects 
to one who had formerly made his home with them, who 
had gone to a distant State where he had won honor and 
distinction, and who at his own request was to be buried 
among them. The church was crowded even beyond its 
capacity. The casket was surrounded by flowers in great 
abundance, tokens of affection and esteem from friends 
and loved onps. After an impressive sermon by the 
pastor. Representative L. C. Dyer, of Missouri, on behalf 
of the congressional party, delivered an address in which 
he spoke eloquently and feelingly of our departed col- 
league. In the beautiful cemetery adjoining the church, 
near the home of his childhood, among old-time friends 
and neighbors, we laid to rest all that is mortal of Jacob 
E. Meeker, who, although comparatively a young man, 
had, bj^ his zeal, energy, and determination, won for him- 
self high political honors and a lasting place in the esteem 
and affections of all who knew him well. 



[22] 



Address of Mr. Igoe, of Missouri 

Mr. Speaker: We meet to-day to pay tribute to another 
deceased colleague of ours, Mr. Meeker, who served in 
this House from the tenth district of Missouri. I knew 
Mr. Meeker for many years, and became quite intimately 
acquainted with him during our service together in this 
House. He had taken a prominent part in the discussion 
of public affairs in St. Louis prior to his election to Con- 
gress, and after he arrived here he became one of the 
hardest working Members of this House. The district 
that he represented contains almost 500,000 people. Those 
of us who represent districts containing 200,000 and 250,- 

000 people know how much work devolves upon us, and 

1 know from my visits to him that he was engaged day 
and night attending to the work of the constituency that 
he represented. He was a man of ability, and he stood 
by his convictions, and, whether it was in his own party 
or with another party, he made a fight for what he be- 
lieved to be right. I recall verj^ well the time the declara- 
tion of war was being voted upon Mr. Meeker was at 
that time veiy ill and unable to be here, and he sent 
word that if his vote was needed he wanted to be sent 
for and brought here to vote for the declaration of war. 
He might well have allowed the matter to go, because 
everj'one knew that he was desperately ill, but he wished 
that record made. And just a day or two before his 
death I received a telegram from him stating that he 
wanted to be recorded as supporting the last war meas- 
ure which was voted upon before his death, the great 
appropriation for carrying on the war. Mr. Meeker was 
a hard-working, conscientious Representative. He dif- 



[23] 



Memorial Addresses: Representative Meeker 

fered radically and greatly with many Members of the 
House and with many people in St. Louis, and yet he was 
returned here by his people by a tremendous majority, 
and, as stated by the Speaker, I believe he could have 
continued to represent them in this House for many years. 
There were, as in the case of the distinguished Senator 
of whom we spoke, many who differed radically with 
him, but I think that all will concede that Mr. Meeker 
was a man of ability, forcefulness, cnergj% and, above all 
things, anxious to render genuine public service to his 
people. 



[24] 



Address of Mr. Knutson, of Minnesota 

Mr. Speaker: Soon after coming to Congress in the 
Sixty-fifth Congress I had the privilege of meeting the 
late Congressman Jacob E. Meeker, of Missouri. He was 
a member of the important Committee on Immigration 
and Naturalization, and, as I was assigned to the body, 
the opportunity to become acquainted with him was 
offered me. I early became impressed with his vigor, 
his honesty, and his integritj'. He was in many ways a 
wonderful man. His outstanding characteristics were 
mental honesty and fearlessness. He never tried to de- 
ceive himself, and his absolute fearlessness and honesty 
were proverbial. I was attracted to him by his sound 
reasoning power and his industry, and it is no exaggera- 
tion to say that he was easily one of the strong men of 
that important committee. I did not always agree with 
Mr. Meeker's views — in fact, we often disagreed — but 
never for a moment did I ever doubt his honesty and sin- 
cerity. He used force and logic rather than diplomacy 
and intrigue in achieving his end. When he spoke he 
always had a message well worth hearing, and therefore 
always commanded attention when he rose to address 
the House. A Hoosier by birth, it was natural that he 
should go into politics. Born on the " banks of the Wa- 
bash," he came of good, honest stock. While in attend- 
ance at his funeral, which was held at Attica, Ind., it was 
my proud privilege to meet his dear old mother, and 
after having met her I could readily understand that he 
had inherited from her many of his strong characteristics. 
She is one of that splendid type of American womanhood 
who stood shoulder to shoulder with their pioneer hus- 

[25] 



Memorial Addresses: Representative Meeker 

bands and did their full share in transforming a vast 
empire from a wilderness into a Garden of Eden. 
Mr. Meeker was a worthy son of a splendid American 
mother. 

We miss Mr. Meeker on the floor of this House. In his 
death the country lost one whom we would have looked 
to to help pilot the ship of state through the perilous 
waters we are now navigating. His wise counsel would 
have been of great value in these troublous times. The 
need for strong men with positive convictions is greater 
to-day than ever before in the history of the Republic. 
He sleeps peacefully on the " banks of the Wabash "; for 
him life's fitful fever is o'er, but his memory lingers. 
Peace to his ashes! 



[26] 



Address or Mr. Decker, of Missouri 

Mr. Speaker: I find it in my heart to say a word rela- 
tive, first, to our colleague from Missouri, Mr. Meeker. 
I did not know him well in hfe, and it would not he 
appropriate for me to speak with authority as to his per- 
sonal character and from the standpoint of an intimate 
friend. 

We differed radically, he and I. He was a Republican 
and I am a Democrat. I am a prohibitionist and he was 
not. But whatever he advocated he advocated with all 
his force and without fear. I have tried to do the same as 
to the things in which I believe. And for this reason my 
late colleague, Mr. Meeker, of Missouri, commanded my 
respect. As to his ability, it was unquestioned, not only 
from the work which he did in this House but upon the 
platform throughout Missouri advocating the things for 
which he stood. 

There is a characteristic relative to Mr. Meeker with 
which I am familiar. I feel that only justice to him com- 
mands that 1 should speak. Mr. Meeker was at one time 
a minister of the Gospel, but in spite of that he claimed 
the right and exercised the right to speak against prohibi- 
tion. This brought down upon his head a storm of pro- 
test and a storm of opposition that was great. I for one 
Avish to say that I acknowledged his right to do this, 
though prohibitionist I have been from my cradle and 
expect to be to my grave. Prohibition never was and 
never will be a religious question. I always acknowledged 
the right of Mr. Meeker to speak as a minister of the 
Gospel, as a lawyer, and as a Congressman against the 
principles in which I believed as to prohibition. 

[27] 



Memorial Addresses: Representative Meeker 

I knew his viewpoint on this, because I had the pleas- 
ure of talking with him about it from St. Louis to Wash- 
ington all one afternoon, and I gathered from him the 
thing that consumed his mind and heart. It was not so 
much the question of drinking liquor; it was his opposi- 
tion to the idea of substituting religious dogma for reason. 
He denied the right of any church to tell him how he 
should vote on any proposition. In this he was right. I 
have always believed that men have weakened the pro- 
hibition cause by trying to make it a tenet of Christianity. 
It is an economic and a political question. I did not 
agree with Mr. Meeker as to his position on prohibition, 
but I always respected his ability, and I reserved to him 
the right to speak his sentiments, the same right that I 
claim for myself. I am glad of one thing, that shortly 
after the controversy which, as you remember, he and I 
had in the House, though neither of us recanted our views 
or withdrew anything we said as to the principles for 
which we stood, yet we spoke and parted as good friends. 
And it was with pain, it was with deep regret, that a few 
days later I received the news, at Joplin, that my colleague 
had passed on to " the undiscovered country from whose 
bourn no traveler returns." 

I am glad to stand here in this Hall and speak these 
words of appreciation wliich I had for him. 



[28] 



Address of Mr. Burnett, of Alabama 

Mr. Speaker : I rise to add my feeble tribute of respect 
and appreciation and friendship to the memory of Hon. 
Jacob E. Meeker. 

When Mr. Meeker first entered this House he was as- 
signed to the Committee on Immigration and Naturaliza- 
tion, of which I have the honor of being chairman. It 
had been the policy of both parties, without any politics 
entering into the personnel of that committee, to have the 
committee as nearly divided as possible on the question 
of the restriction of immigration in proportion to what 
had developed by different votes in the House of Repre- 
sentatives on that question. Mr. Meeker no doubt was 
placed by his party on that committee with the belief 
that he reflected and represented the same views on that 
subject as his distinguished predecessor, Dr. Bartholdt, 
who had opposed the legislation which had been pending 
for several years for the restriction of immigration. 

Mr. Meeker entered upon the performance of his duties 
on that committee, and we had long and continuous hear- 
ings. At the verj' outset of the discussions and hearings 
he no doubt felt inclined, as his predecessor had been, to 
oppose restriction by the illiteracy test that had been 
pending and discussed for several years; but he an- 
nounced to the committee — I remember it well — at one 
of its first meetings, that he entered on the consideration 
with an open mind, desirous of arriving at what he 
thought would be a righteous and just conclusion, and 
that he would go into the investigation of the question 
without fear or favor, intent on reaching a conclusion 
that he thought would be just and fair and right. 

[29] 



Memorial Addresses: Representative Meeker 

We had many, many days of hearings. That man had 
an eagerness and an avidity for work that was unexcelled 
by any Member with whom I have been intimately asso- 
ciated. He listened to the statements, he listened to the 
testimony, he listened to the discussions; none of us 
knew, and he did not know, where he was finally going to 
land upon that question or upon which side he would 
cast his decision. He entered into it honestly and earn- 
estly, desiring to reach a conclusion that would meet the 
approval of an honest conscience and an honest heart. 

At the conclusion of those long discussions and of those 
long hearings before the committee Mr. Meeker lined up 
with the same views that a majority of the committee had 
maintained for some time. He showed in that investiga- 
tion and in those discussions a courage worthy of the 
man. As I said, his immediate predecessor had been 
strenuously and earnestly opposed to the propositions in- 
volved, and had upon every occasion and at every turn 
of the wheel opposed and sought by honest effort to defeat 
the views that many of us held. I have no doubt but 
that at least a great number, if not a majority, of his 
constituency were in accord with the views that had been 
held by his immediate predecessor, and that very fact 
showed the honesty of that brave man. He went out to 
meet those constituents. He gave them his reasons for the 
faith that was in him, and he was returned, I believe, 
twice after he had voted with the majority on that 
question. 

I merely desired, Mr. Speaker, briefly to call attention 
to that as one of the numerous occasions upon which it 
was my privilege and pleasure to witness the courage, 
intellectual and moral, of that strong man. Wc miss his 
counsels on the committee now. There were many ques- 
tions that we desired investigated that the full committee 
did not have the time to attend to, and when questions 



[30] 



Address of Mr. Burnett, of Alabama 

of that kind arose there was no man to whom I could 
more cheerfully refer for investigation and report than 
to our distinguished colleague who is gone. And, Mr. 
Speaker, when I heard of his death, cut off in the very 
prime of manhood, I felt that an intellectual giant had 
been taken from this body and from tlie committee of 
which he was a member. He fell as he had lived, dis- 
charging what he believed to be his duty. It is said that 
when one of Napoleon's great marshals fell on the field 
of duty he said to the officer whose business it was to call 
the roll, " Do not strike that great name from the roll, 
but everj- time when the roll call is made let an ofTicer 
step two paces to the front and answer ' He fell on the 
field of duty.' " And so it may be said of our colleague, 
he fell in the discharge of what he believed to be his duty. 
Mr. Speaker, I thought of asking merelj' to extend my 
remarks in the Record, but my friendship and affection 
for Mr. Meeker were so great that I felt I could not deny 
myself the honor and the privilege in this brief moment 
to add my personal tribute to the memory of a good friend 
and a great legislator. He was not of my political faith. 
I differed from some of his views very earnestly, but I 
always recognized that when I was opposed to the views 
of Mr. Meeker that he was as honest in those views as I 
dared claim to be in mine. He was a foeman worthy of 
the steel of any man, no matter how great might be his 
opponent. 



[31] 



Address of Mr. Rucker, of Missouri 

Mr. Speaker : I had no personal acquaintance with our 
late colleague, the Hon. Jacob E. Meeker, prior to his elec- 
tion to Congress. I knew him by reputation as one of the 
active, aggressive, and distinguished citizens of Missouri. 
His dauntless courage in giving voice to his convictions 
upon public questions, whether popular or unpopular, 
gave him a wide acquaintance throughout Missouri. 

As a Member of the House of Representatives I knew 
Mr. Meeker very well. Between us there were differences 
of views which were irreconcilable, but I learned to ad- 
mire him for his loyal and unwavering devotion to those 
things and to those principles which he believed to be 
right. No amount of opposition could deter him from 
asserting himself or from advocating the views which he 
honestly held. He was a man possessed of far more than 
average ability and was congenial, pleasing, and attractive 
in his associations and relations with men. 

Others who bore closer relations to him have spoken 
more extensively with reference to the lofty character and 
splendid record of efficient service of our deceased col- 
league, and nothing which I could say would add to the 
tributes they have paid him. 

I have always thought that one of the truest and most 
infallible methods of determining a man's personal worth 
is to ascertain how those who know him most intimately 
and well feel toward him. It was my privilege to attend 
tlic funeral of Mr. Meeker at Attica, Ind., and to witness 
the expressions of grief of the very large concourse of 
people who assembled at the beautiful church building 
near Attica where a funeral discourse was delivered and 
where the remains were interred. Everj' expression one 

[32] 



Address of Mr. Rucker, of Missouri 

heard on that sad occasion was one of sorrow and grief, 
and every face bore evidence of the deep distress which 
had overcast the community in which Jacob E. Meeker as 
a boy and as a man was so well known and so cordially 
esteemed. He was a good man, a useful man, a loyal 
friend, and a wise legislator. He will be missed and 
mourned in the community and in the Congress of the 
United States, where he performed such valued and 
valuable services to his country. 

Then, in accordance with the resolution heretofore 
adopted, the House (at 3 o'clock and 35 minutes p. m.) 
adjourned until Monday, February 3, 1919, at 11 o'clock 
a. m. 



116941°— 20 3 [33] 



Proceedings in the Senate 

Thursday, October 17, 1918. 

A message from the House of Representatives, by J. C. 
South, its Chief Clerk, communicated to the Senate the 
intelligence of the death of Hon. Jacob Edwin Meeker, 
late a Representative from the State of Missouri, and 
transmitted resolutions of the House thereon. 

Mr. WiLFLEY. I ask that the resolution of the House be 
laid before the Senate. 

The Presiding Officer. The Chair lays before the Sen- 
ate resolutions of the House of Representatives, which 
will be read. 

The Secretary read the resolutions, as follows : 

In the House of Representatives of the United States. 

October 16, 1918. 

Resolved, That the House has heard with profound sorrow of 
the death of Hon. Jacob Edwin Meeker, a Representative from the 
State of Missouri. 

Resolved, That a committee of 20 Members of the House, with 
such Members of the Senate as may be joined, be appointed to 
attend the funeral. 

Resolved, That the Sergeant at Arms of the House be authorized 
and directed to take such steps as may be necessary for carrying 
out the provisions of these resolutions, and that the necessary 
expenses in connection therewith be paid out of the contingent 
fund of the House. 

Resolved, That, as a further mark of respect, this House do now 
adjourn. 

Mr. Wilfley. Mr. President, as a further mark of re- 
spect to the memory of the deceased Representative I 
send to the desk resolutions which I ask to have read. 



[35] 



Memorial Addresses: Representative Meeker 

The Presiding Officer. The Secretary' will read the reso- 
lutions. 

The Secretary read the resolutions, as follows : 

Resolved, That the Senate has heard with profound sorrow the 
announcement of the death of Hon. Jacob Edwin Meeker, late a 
Representative from the State of Missouri. 

Resolved, That a committee of 10 Senators be appointed by the 
Vice President, to join the committee appointed on the part of the 
House of Representatives, to attend the funeral of the deceased. 

Resolved, That the Secretary communicate a copy of these reso- 
lutions to the House of Representatives. 

The Presiding Officer. The question is on the adoption 
of the resolutions. 

The resolutions were unanimously agreed to. 

Under the second resolution the Presiding Officer ap- 
pointed as the committee on the part of the Senate Mr. 
Reed, Mr. Wilfley, Mr. Watson, Mr. Sutherland, Mr. New, 
Mr. Kenyon, Mr. Harding, Mr. Beckham, Mr. Kirby, and 
Mr. Curtis. 

Mr. Wilfley. Mr. President, as a further mark of re- 
spect to the memory of the deceased Representative I 
move that the Senate adjourn. 

The inotion was unanimously agreed to; and (at 1 
o'clock and 45 minutes p. m.) the Senate adjourned until 
Monday, October 21, 1918, at 12 o'clock meridian. 

Saturday, February 3, 1919. 
A message from the House of Representatives, by J. C. 
South, its Chief Clerk, transmitted to the Senate resolu- 
tions on the life, character, and public services of Hon. 
Jacob E. Meeker, late a Representative from the State of 
Missouri. 



[36] 




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